Epson Stylus Color 1520 User manual

User’s Guide

Printed on recycled paper with at least 10% post-consumer content.

front.fm5 Page i Friday, May 9, 1997 1:34 PM

ii

any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior

written permission of

SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION. The information contained herein is designed only for use

with this

EPSON printer. EPSON is not responsible for any use of this information as applied to other printers.

Neither

SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION nor its affiliates shall be liable to the purchaser of this product or third

parties for damages, losses, costs, or expenses incurred by purchaser or third parties as a result of: accident, misuse,

or abuse of this product or unauthorized modifications, repairs, or alterations to this product, or (excluding the

U.S.) failure to strictly comply with

SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION’s operating and maintenance instructions.

SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION shall not be liable for any damages or problems arising from the use of any options

or any consumable products other than those designated as Original

EPSON Products or EPSON Approved

Products by

SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.

EPSON, EPSON Stylus, and ESC/P are registered trademarks and ESC/P 2 is a trademark of SEIKO EPSON

CORPORATION

.

General Notice: Other product names used herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of

their respective owners.

EPSON disclaims any and all rights in those marks.

The E

NERGY STAR emblem does not represent EPA endorsement of any product or service.

5/97

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iii

FCC Compliance Statement

For United States Users

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to

Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference

in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not

installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio or television

reception. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this

equipment does cause interference to radio and television reception, which can be determined by turning the

equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following

measures.

◗ Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

◗ Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

◗ Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

◗ Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

WARNING

The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will invalidate the FCC

Certification of this device and may cause interference levels which exceed the limits established by the FCC for

this equipment. It is the responsibility of the user to obtain and use a shielded equipment interface cable with this

device. If this equipment has more than one interface connector, do not leave cables connected to unused

interfaces. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to

operate the equipment.

For Canadian Users

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment

Regulations.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le materiel brouilleur du

Canada.

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-xvi

edge guides

(manual feeder)

paper support

control panel

output tray

edge guides

(sheet feeder)

rear edge guide

paper release lever

manual feeder

tractor feeder

AC inlet or

power cord

connection

center

support

serial

interface

parallel

interface

optional

interface

slot

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v

Contents

Introduction

PC System Requirements 2

Macintosh System Requirements 2

How To Use Your Manuals 3

Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips 4

Where To Get Help 5

Electronic Support Services 5

ENERGY STAR Compliance 7

Energy-saving Tips 7

Important Safety Instructions 7

1 Basic Printing

Printing from Windows 1-1

Setting Printer Options from Windows Applications 1-2

Setting Default Printer Options 1-5

Checking Printer Status 1-7

Printing from a Macintosh 1-9

Using Online Help 1-11

Accessing Help from Windows Applications 1-11

Accessing Help from Windows 95 1-12

Accessing Help from Windows 3.1 1-12

Accessing Help from Windows NT 4.0 1-12

Accessing Help from Windows NT 3.51 1-12

Accessing Help from Macintosh Applications 1-12

What To Do When the Printer Lights Come On 1-13

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Contents

vi

2 Custom Printing

Using Predefined Advanced Settings 2-1

Customizing Print Quality and Special Effects 2-4

Customizing Color Settings 2-7

Using ColorSync on the Macintosh 2-10

Saving Custom Settings 2-11

Deleting Custom Settings 2-12

Redefining Custom Settings 2-13

3 Printing on Special Media

Using Special Media Types 3-2

Media Loading and Software Setting Guidelines 3-3

Additional Media Loading Guidelines 3-5

Printing on Single Sheets 3-6

Loading Paper in the Built-in Sheet Feeder 3-6

Loading Paper in the Manual Feeder 3-11

Printing on Continuous Paper 3-14

Removing Continuous Paper 3-18

Using the Micro Adjust Buttons 3-20

Adjusting the Loading Position 3-20

Adjusting the Tear-off Position 3-21

Switching Between Continuous and Single-sheet Paper 3-21

Printing a Banner or Other Roll Paper Project 3-22

Loading Roll Paper 3-22

Printing a Banner from Windows 3-27

Printing a Banner from a Macintosh 3-29

Removing a Printed Banner 3-30

Printing a Backlit Display 3-33

Loading Back Light Film 3-33

Printing a Backlit Display from Windows 3-34

Printing a Backlit Display on a Macintosh 3-35

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Contents

vii

4 Managing Print Jobs and

Network Printing

Managing Print Jobs with Windows 95 or 3.1 4-1

Using the Spool Manager 4-2

Using the Status Monitor 4-4

Managing Print Jobs with Windows NT 4-5

Managing Print Jobs on a Macintosh 4-6

Using EPSON Monitor2 4-6

Using the Macintosh Status Monitor 4-7

Network Printing on a PC 4-9

Connecting to the Printer on Windows NT 4.0

Systems 4-9

Connecting to the Printer on Windows NT 3.51

Systems 4-10

Using the Printer Software’s Built-in Network

Support 4-11

Network Printing on a Macintosh 4-13

Assigning a Name to the Printer 4-14

Setting Up the Printer for AppleTalk 4-14

5 Using Your Printer with

DOS

Selecting Printer Software for DOS 5-1

Changing Printer Settings with Default-Setting Mode 5-3

Entering Default-Setting Mode 5-3

List of Default-Setting Options 5-5

Maintaining the Printer 5-7

Aligning the Print Heads with a DOS Utility 5-7

Selecting Character Tables 5-8

International Character Sets 5-16

Characters Available with the ESC ( ^ Command 5-17

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Contents

viii

Using Printer Commands 5-17

ESC/P 2 Control Codes 5-18

IBM XL24E Emulation Control Codes 5-19

6

Maintenance and

Transportation

Cleaning the Print Heads 6-1

Using the Head Cleaning Utility 6-2

Using the Control Panel 6-3

Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern 6-4

Replacing an Ink Cartridge 6-4

Removing and Installing an Ink Cartridge 6-5

Printing in Black Ink with an Empty Color Cartridge 6-7

Aligning the Print Heads 6-8

Using the Print Head Alignment Utility 6-8

Using the Control Panel 6-9

Cleaning the Printer 6-10

Transporting the Printer 6-10

7 Troubleshooting

Diagnosing Problems 7-1

Running a Self Test 7-2

Printing a Hex Dump 7-3

Improving Print Quality 7-4

Solving Printing Problems 7-8

Fixing Paper Problems 7-13

Solving Miscellaneous Printout Problems 7-16

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Contents

ix

A Using Optional Interfaces

Using Macintosh Interface Boards A-2

Using the PC Serial Interface Board A-2

Installing Optional Interfaces A-2

B Using EPSON Plot!

Installing EPSON Plot! B-1

Printing with EPSON Plot! B-2

C Specifications

Printing C-1

Paper C-3

Ink Cartridges C-5

Mechanical C-6

Electrical C-6

Environmental C-6

Safety Approvals C-7

Interfaces C-7

Glossary

Index

l2ug.toc Page ix Friday, May 9, 1997 1:36 PM

1

/

Introduction

Your EPSON Stylus

®

COLOR 1520 printer is the ideal output

device for business communication pieces—such as

presentations, signs, banners, maps, color comps, checkplots,

iron-on transfers, and backlit displays—or any project you

create. Using resolutions up to 1440 × 720 dpi (dots per inch),

you get amazingly realistic photographic images, vivid color

graphics, superb grayscale images, and razor-sharp black

printing for crisp text and detailed line art.

With its large format print capabilities and versatile, built-in

paper feeding options, the

EPSON Stylus COLOR 1520 lets you

print on virtually any media, of almost any size, including single

sheets, continuous fold paper, and roll paper. You can even

switch between printing on continuous paper and single sheets

by flipping a lever.

The printer software for Microsoft

®

Windows

®

and Apple

®

Macintosh

®

computers provides advanced color management,

with adjustable levels of brightness, contrast, saturation, and ink

colors. Support for ColorSync

™

2.01 and Windows 95 ICM

ensures printouts that closely match the colors on your monitor.

You can also perform many printer maintenance procedures

right from your computer, such as cleaning and aligning the

print heads. And

EPSON’s extensive online help can guide you

through printer operations in real time.

With standard parallel and high-speed serial ports and optional

network connectivity, setting up your printer is fast and easy.

EPSON’s specially formulated, quick-drying ink and wide

variety of ink jet media give you the best quality output and

offer the most flexibility for getting the results you want.

Note:

Also included are the

EPSON Plot! program

and EPSON’s protected

mode Autodesk

®

Device

Interface (ADI)

®

plotter

driver.

EPSON Plot! lets you

print HPGL or HPGL/2

plot files on your printer.

See Appendix B for

details.

The ADI plotter driver lets

you use your printer with

AutoCAD

®

386 (DOS

Extender) releases 10

and higher that support

ADI plotter drivers. See

the README file on the

ADI plotter driver diskette

or printer software

CD-ROM for more

information.

intro.fm5 Page 1 Friday, May 9, 1997 1:39 PM

Introduction

2

PC System Requirements

To use your printer and its software with a PC, your system

should have:

◗ An IBM

®

compatible PC with at least a 386/25 MHz or

faster processor (486/25 MHz or faster for Windows NT)

◗ DOS, Windows 95, Windows 3.1x, Windows for

Workgroups 3.11, Windows NT

™

4.0, or Windows

NT 3.51

◗ At least 16MB of RAM

◗ At least 20MB of free hard disk space for storing images

(50MB or more is recommended)

◗ VGA, Super VGA, or better display adapter and monitor

◗ Double-speed CD-ROM drive (quad-speed or faster

recommended) for installing the printer software from the

CD-ROM

◗ A shielded, twisted-pair parallel cable (6 to 10 feet long) to

connect your computer to the printer; the cable must have

a D-SUB, 25-pin, male connector for your computer and a

36-pin, Centronics

®

compatible connector for the printer.

For PC network interface options and the additional system

requirements they may have, see Appendix A.

Macintosh System Requirements

To use your printer and its software with a Macintosh, your

system should have:

◗ Any Macintosh or Power Macintosh model except the

Macintosh +, Macintosh 512, or PowerBook

™

100

◗ System 7.1 or later

◗ At least 8MB of built-in RAM (16MB or more is

recommended)

intro.fm5 Page 2 Friday, May 9, 1997 1:39 PM

Introduction

3

◗ Double-speed CD-ROM drive (quad-speed or faster

recommended) for installing the printer software from the

CD-ROM

◗ At least 20MB of free hard disk space for storing images

(40MB or more is recommended)

◗ VGA, Super VGA, or better display adapter and monitor

◗ Standard Apple System Peripheral-8 serial cable or

equivalent (RS-422, 8-pin mini DIN male/male)

For Macintosh network interface options and the additional

system requirements they may have, see Appendix A.

How To Use Your Manuals

To set up your printer and install your printer software, see the

Quick Setup

booklet. This User’s Guide contains the following

information:

Chapter 1, “Basic Printing,” gives step-by-step instructions for

everyday printing with Windows or Macintosh.

Chapter 2, “Custom Printing,” tells you how to print special

projects with custom settings for print quality, special effects,

and color management.

Chapter 3, “Printing on Special Media,” gives guidelines for

selecting the right paper or other media for your print job and

instructions for loading it in your printer.

Chapter 4, “Managing Print Jobs and Network Printing,”

explains how to manage print jobs, check printer status, and set

up your system for network printing.

Chapter 5, “Using Your Printer with DOS,” tells you how to

use your printer with DOS applications, including selecting

printer software for DOS, changing printer settings using

default-setting mode, aligning the print heads, selecting

character tables, and using printer commands.

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Introduction

4

Chapter 6, “Maintenance and Transportation,” gives

instructions for replacing ink cartridges, cleaning and aligning

the print heads, and cleaning and transporting the printer.

Chapter 7, “Troubleshooting,” provides solutions for any

printing problems you may have.

Appendix A, “Using Optional Interfaces,” lists the optional

interface boards and gives instructions for installing and using

them.

Appendix B, “Using

EPSON Plot!,” gives instructions on

installing and using the

EPSON Plot! program to print HPGL

or HPGL/2 plotter files on your printer.

Appendix C, “Specifications,” provides the technical details on

your printer, ink cartridges, and EPSON media.

A Glossary and an Index

are included at the end of the book.

Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips

You’ll find this information throughout your manual:

Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.

Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your

equipment.

Notes contain important information about your printer.

Tips contain additional hints for great printing.

intro.fm5 Page 4 Friday, May 9, 1997 1:39 PM

Introduction

5

Where To Get Help

EPSON provides customer support and service through a

network of authorized

EPSON Customer Care Centers. Dial

(800) 922-8911 for the nearest location or the following

services:

◗ FaxAdvice access to

EPSON’s technical information library

◗ Literature on current and new products

◗ The location of your nearest Authorized

EPSON Reseller or

Customer Care Center

◗ Technical information on the installation, configuration,

and operation of

EPSON products

◗ Customer relations

For answers to commonly asked questions about

EPSON

products 24 hours a day, seven days a week, call

EPSON Sound

Advice at (800) 442-2110.

You can purchase ink cartridges, paper, manuals, accessories,

and parts from

EPSON Accessories at (800) 873-7766 (U.S.

sales only). In Canada, please call (800) 873-7766 for dealer

referral.

If you need help using software with an

EPSON product, see

the documentation for that program for technical support

information.

Electronic Support Services

You can access helpful tips, specifications, DIP switch or

jumper settings, drivers, FAQs, sample files, application notes,

and

EPSON product bulletins 24 hours a day, seven days a

week, using a modem and one of the online services below.

intro.fm5 Page 5 Friday, May 9, 1997 1:39 PM

Introduction

6

World Wide Web

From the Internet, you can reach EPSON’s Home Page at

http://www.epson.com.

EPSON Download Service

You can call the EPSON Download Service at (800) 442-2007.

Set your communications software to 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no

parity. Modem speed can be up to 28.8 Kbps.

EPSON FaxAdvice Service

You can access EPSON’s technical information library by

calling (800) 442-2110 and selecting the appropriate phone

option. You must provide a return fax number to use

FaxAdvice.

EPSON Forum on CompuServe

Members of CompuServe

®

can type GO EPSON at the menu

prompt to reach CompuServe’s Epson America Forum. As an

owner of an

EPSON product, you are eligible for a free

introductory CompuServe membership, which entitles you to

an introductory credit and your own user ID and password.

To take advantage of this offer in the U.S. or Canada, call

(800) 848-8199 and ask for representative #529.

intro.fm5 Page 6 Friday, May 9, 1997 1:39 PM

Introduction

7

ENERGY STAR Compliance

As an ENERGY STAR Partner, EPSON has determined that this

product meets the E

NERGY STAR guidelines for energy

efficiency.

The EPA E

NERGY STAR Office Equipment program is a

voluntary partnership with the computer and office equipment

industry to promote the introduction of energy-efficient

personal computers, monitors, printers, fax machines, and

copiers in an effort to reduce air pollution caused by power

generation.

Energy-saving Tips

Here are a few tips you can use to be even more energy-wise:

◗ If your monitor isn’t E

NERGY STAR compliant, turn it off

when you’re not using it.

◗ Turn off your computer, printer, and monitor each day

when you are done using them.

◗ Use the print preview option in your software so you can

catch errors before you print something.

◗ Send e-mail rather than distributing memos. Not only is

this faster, but you’ll save paper and storage space too.

Important Safety Instructions

Before using your printer, read the following safety instructions

to make sure you use the printer safely and effectively.

◗ Turn off and unplug the printer before cleaning. Clean

with a damp cloth only. Do not spill liquid on the printer.

◗ Do not place the printer on an unstable surface or near a

radiator or heating vent.

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Introduction

8

◗ Do not block or cover the openings in the printer’s cabinet

or insert objects through the slots.

◗ Use only the type of power source indicated on the printer’s

label.

◗ Connect all equipment to properly grounded power

outlets. Avoid using outlets on the same circuit as

photocopiers or air control systems that regularly switch

on and off.

◗ Place the printer near a wall outlet where the plug can be

easily unplugged.

Placez l’imprimante près d’une prise de contacte où la fiche

peut être débranchée facilement.

◗ Do not let the power cord become damaged or frayed.

◗ If you use an extension cord with the printer, make sure

the total ampere rating of the devices plugged into the

extension cord does not exceed the cord’s ampere rating.

Also, make sure the total of all devices plugged into the wall

outlet does not exceed 15 amperes.

◗ Except as specifically explained in this User’s Guide, do not

attempt to service the printer yourself.

◗ Unplug the printer and refer servicing to qualified service

personnel under the following conditions:

If the power cord or plug is damaged; if liquid has entered

the printer; if the printer has been dropped or the cabinet

damaged; if the printer does not operate normally or

exhibits a distinct change in performance. Adjust only those

controls that are covered by the operating instructions.

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Introduction

9

Even if you are familiar with other types of printers, be sure to

read through the following list of precautions before operating

your ink jet printer:

◗ Do not put your hand inside the printer or touch the print

heads during printing.

◗ Under normal circumstances, ink will not come out of the

cartridges. If it does get on your skin, wash it off with soap

and water. If it gets in your eyes, flush them immediately

with water.

◗ Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children.

◗ Do not dismantle the ink cartridges or try to refill them.

This could result in damage to the print head.

◗ Once you install an ink cartridge, do not open the clamp or

remove the cartridge except to replace it with a new one.

The cartridge may become unusable otherwise.

◗ Install the ink cartridge immediately after you remove it

from its package. Leaving the cartridge unpacked for a long

time before use may result in reduced print quality.

◗ Do not use an ink cartridge beyond the date printed on the

cartridge carton. For best results, use up the ink cartridges

within six months of installing them.

◗ Do not shake an ink cartridge; this can cause leakage.

◗ Always turn the printer off using the P

Operate button.

When this button is pressed, the

Operate light flashes

briefly then goes out. Do not unplug the printer or turn off

the power to the outlet until the

Operate light is off.

◗ Before transporting the printer, make sure the print head is

capped in the far right position and the ink cartridges are in

place.

◗ If you use a printer stand, make sure it keeps the printer

level and can hold up to 66 lb (30 kg). Secure the printer

cables to a leg on the stand so they don’t interfere with

paper feeding.

intro.fm5 Page 9 Friday, May 9, 1997 1:39 PM

1-1

1

It’s easy to print all your color and monochrome (black ink)

documents with your

EPSON Stylus COLOR 1520. First you

have to set up your printer and install the software following the

instructions in the Quick Setup booklet. Then read this chapter

to find out about the following:

◗ Printing from Windows

◗ Printing from a Macintosh

◗ Using online help

◗ What to do when the printer lights come on

Printing from Windows

When you want to print from a Windows application, you

choose

Print from the File menu. You can then choose which

pages to print, the number of copies, and other options from

your application’s Print dialog box. When you click a button in

the Print dialog box, you can select additional settings using

your printer software, such as whether you want to use color or

black ink.

The following sections tell you how to do the following:

◗ Set printer software options from Windows applications

◗ Change the default printer software settings

◗ Check your printer’s status while you print

Basic Printing

Note:

If you print from DOS

applications, see

Chapter 5 for instructions

on using your printer with

DOS.

For instructions on

printing HPGL or

HPGL/2 plot files, see

Appendix B.

basic.fm5 Page 1 Friday, May 9, 1997 1:43 PM

Basic Printing

1-2

Setting Printer Options from Windows

Applications

This section describes the options you’ll need to set for all your

everyday printouts. See Chapter 2 for information about

advanced settings for special print jobs.

Follow these steps to check printer settings from your word

processor or other Windows software:

1. Choose

Print or Print Setup from the File menu.

If you choose

Print, you first see your application’s Print

dialog box containing the settings you change most often,

including the number of copies and the pages you want

printed.

If you choose

Print Setup, you first see a list of printers to

choose from.

2. Make sure your

EPSON Stylus COLOR 1520 printer is

selected, and then click the

Printer, Setup, Properties, or

Options button. (You may have to click a series of these

buttons, depending on the program you’re printing with.)

You see the printer software’s dialog box:

:

Note:

The settings you select

through your Windows

application usually apply

only until you exit that

application. Then the

driver settings may return

to the driver’s default

values or the Windows

default values selected as

described on page 1-5.

For more information

about printer settings,

click the Help button.

With Windows 95 and

Windows NT, you can

right-click any item on the

screen and then click

What’s This?

Main tab

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